General Studies Mains-2014 Paper-4 (Ethics and Integrity) Answer : Q-13

Rameshwar successfully cleared the prestigious civil services examination and was excited about the opportunity that he would get through the civil services to serve the country. However, soon after joining the services, he realized that things are not as rosy as he had imagined.

He found a number of malpractices prevailing in the department assigned to him. For example, funds under various schemes and grants were being misappropriated. The official facilities were frequently being used for personal needs by the officers and staff. After some time, he noticed that the process of recruiting the staff was also not up to the mark. Prospective candidates were required to write an examination in which a lot of cheating was going on. Some candidates were provided external help in the examination. Rameshwar brought these incidents to the notice of his seniors. However, he was advised to keep his eyes, ears and mouth shut and ignore all these things which were taking place with the connivance of the higher-ups. Rameshwar felt highly disillusioned and uncomfortable. He comes to you seeking your advice.

Indicate various options that you think are available in this situation. How would you help him to evaluate these options and choose the most appropriate path to be adopted? 250 words.

Rameshwar can either ignore the illicit activities or try to put a stop to these activities. Ignoring the illicit activities would result in Rameshwar failing to discharge his duties responsibly. Rameshwar could he held accountable by law for failing to highlight the illicit practices and also has a moral and ethical duty to stop them. Thus, Rameshwar has a duty to put a stop to these activities. However, how Rameshwar can go about doing this is a challenge in itself since his superiors are also part of the illegal activities.

Therefore, Rameshwar must adopt a middle path and slowly make efforts to curb the illicit activities that take place. Since his higher-ups are also part of the cover-up, Rameshwar must report these inconsistencies to the Vigilance Department and also bring the matter to the attention of his superior who isn’t involved in the cover-up. While Rameshwar’s immediate superiors are part of the cover-up, he could report the activities to someone not part of his department but is in a position to oversee the department. Then, Rameshwar can take directions from such persons in positions of authority so as to go about eradicating the corrupt and illicit practices in his department.